Because Middle-Earth can be a confusing, perilous place, Reddit user mbingcrosby created this Google Maps-style guide to the journey from Hobbiton to Mordor. As you can see, it's expected to take six months ("four months without Orcs"), and be ready, because "this route has trolls." »1/30/15 9:20am 1/30/15 9:20am

Joss Whedon hints at some hinky stuff in store for Hawkeye and the Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Peter Jackson feels like he could always return to Middle Earth, if given the chance. And Jeremy Irons explains why he took the role of Alfred in Batman v. Superman. Spoilers now! »12/18/14 6:00am 12/18/14 6:00am

If you haven't dived into the pages of The Silmarillion, there's a whole cosmology of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth that you may not know. This short video outlines the basics, explaining as much about the universe's divine and angelic beings as you can learn in four minutes. »12/17/14 4:30pm 12/17/14 4:30pm

It's so easy to resort to lazy and hurtful stereotypes whenever we talk about orcs. If nothing else, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordorshows us how disrespectful this is. These monsters may be hideous, but they're also individuals with hopes and dreams—unique and precious like snowflakes. Let's celebrate them as such.»10/02/14 1:40pm 10/02/14 1:40pm

After learning about the Tolkien estate's downright unseasonable ban on pumpkins appearing anywhere on Middle Earth, a second, and very important question arose: What about potatoes, precious? »9/30/14 4:20pm 9/30/14 4:20pm

J.R.R. Tolkien's hand-drawn maps of Middle Earth have long fueled readers' imaginations about the land of Hobbits, wizards, and Elves, and a group of fantasy cartographers are imagining what the world's terrain might look like in 3D. »2/09/14 10:00am 2/09/14 10:00am

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion opens with the Ainulindalë, the story of how the universe of Middle Earth came into existence. Artist Evan Palmer has painted his own adaptation of tale, imagining the radiant forms of Tolkien's universe taking shape. »1/23/14 3:20pm 1/23/14 3:20pm

Why is it that the plucky Hobbit Bilbo Baggins triumph again and again over the likes of Gollum, the goblins, spiders, and Smaug? A cheeky medical paper suggests that good characters have an advantage over evil ones in Tolkien's world because good characters spend more time in the sun and absorb more Vitamin D. »12/22/13 2:00pm 12/22/13 2:00pm

Climate scientists from the University of Bristol in England have used a climate model to simulate the climate of Middle Earth. The model was also used to determine where on Earth is most like certain places in Middle Earth. »12/09/13 5:06pm 12/09/13 5:06pm

University of Bristol climate scientist Dan Lunt, writing under the name Radagast the Brown, released a paper today where he used powerful supercomputers to model the climate of Middle Earth. So of course he had to release it in Dwarvish, Elvish and English. He made some fascinating scientific observations, too. »12/06/13 4:24pm 12/06/13 4:24pm

Polish photographer and artist Michal Karcz uses digital tools to create fantastical landscapes out of photographs he's taken. Here he's created a seemingly-impossible bridge between our world and Sauron's. Karcz writes, "Most of my work is like a journey to the places which don't exist." You can see a lot more where… »2/11/13 4:53pm 2/11/13 4:53pm

While Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and now The Hobbit movie may be how many modern folks see Middle Earth, it's important to remember that the first person to illustrate J.R.R. Tolkien's world was Tolkien himself. Tolkien had a very clear sense of how Middle Earth should and should not look, and while he… »12/16/12 7:00am 12/16/12 7:00am

Should the wearer of this dress suddenly find herself in Middle Earth, she'll at least have a map handy. This piece of Tolkien-inspire couture was spotted at Dragon*Con 2012, and we love all the small touches: the traveling cloak collar, the Tengwar script along the belt and hem, and the matching clutch. »12/01/12 2:00pm 12/01/12 2:00pm